The Opelousas courier., 1887-10-08
BENJAMIu'S MILITIA.
A NEGRO COMPANY THAT OUT
RACED LAFOURCUE.
Official Correspondence Upon he Sub
ject of It's Suppression-Mr. Niche
let's Testimony as to the Character OF
Benjamin's Force.

beIJalnfDlS EGfCe.
About the 22d of March, 1874, there was
organized in the parish of Laf0urche a negro
militia company, nnder command OF one
Lewis Benjamin, Company G., Sixth Battal-
ion, Infantry.
The records in the Adjutant Generals Of
fee showed that Henry Street, then Adjutant
General, delivered to Capt. Lewis Benjamin,
on the 11tlI of April. 1874, the following:
Fifty Enfield rifle muskets complete, fifty
cartridge boxes, fifty bayonet ~scabbards,
fifty waist belts, fifty waist belt plates, fifty cap
boxes. one sergeant's sword, belt and frog;
1000 rounds Enfield ball cartridges, one
drum, one pair drum sticks, one pair drum
sling and carriages, one fife.
The character of the compan and the
use to which the arms were put will b.,
seen in the following extract from brief
of II. n, Michelet, chairman Democratic
committee, parish of Lafourche, during the
campaign of 1876, in reference to the con-
duct of the election in that parish in 1876,
submitted to the Morrison (Congr~ssionaD
committee in session in New Orleans in
1861:
AT Poll 10, located forty miles from the county
sioner, nor had Mr.. Ledet furnished any tally
sheets; pens. paper, ink and SEALING. wax, for that
poll named a third and Republican commits
sioner. The election was fair and peaceable.
Two hundred and fifteen votes were polled; the
Democrats receiving III, and the Republicans a
~Eotes-giving the Democrats s clear majority of
United States commissioner made I'd ont a tally
sheet which was sworn to by all three State
commissioners. The next step was TO seal the
box, but there was no sealing wax at hand. Nj.
OSulliyan then asked the State Commissioners
to take charge, OF the box and returns, bat they
ynfT1El7 In thGN took pbarera of +ha hr- AL
returns, and, under. the immediate surveil-
lance Of o ,colored Republican constable,
house and handed the box and returns to N.
A, Ledet, who at first refused to receive either
that he. Ledet, would be made to receive the box
and returns. whoreUpon all the cOlored men
half an hour go colored men organized into
regular companies, collected on the commons
within six acres of the courthouse. These armed
benjamin, of mixed negro and Indian blood, the
Indian in him clearly predominating. A large
number of colored women, armed with cane
knives, stood in the van and urged Benjamin and
his warriors to go and kill the white men, and
they, the eolored women, would set fire to the
town and butcher white women and children, SO
that the white men would not be able to fight.
their homes and families. Madeline. a bright
nulattre5s, and the wife of Benjamin, boosted
set fire to the whole town. and that ali the
colored women who did not help her would
a s' company nlqcuGFe Of ne PTo'i militia rs armed 1ae WEE SiR1ai sta fb
arms, which has been drilling every Saturday |
evening for the last three months, on the very
same commons where the warriors and their col
ored Anazons collected on the occasion above
referred to. The short space of time within
which these colored men armed themselves sat
istes me that they had been organized. armed
and equipped under the -prescienee that frauds
liberate, purpose that these frauds should be per
petrated at all hazards. ! am also satisfied that
the election and had been concealed on the day |
of election, within prohibited distance of the
armed men live in all directions out in the coun-
and yet their arms were all in town ready for
tendish plot.
On the 9th of April, 1877. the following
order was issued to Major Moore, of Gen. |
Nichols staff:
STATE OF LOUISIANA
Adjutant Generals Office, |
New Orleans, April q, Is77.)
Major I. D. Moore, Thibodaux:
Dear Sir-You viii take measures to have
collected such arms and equipments belong
ing to the State which may be in the hands
Of any party or parties in your parish, and
report to this office the number so collected,
and the con 'Eition in which they are. This
will be your authority for any steps you may
ind it necessary to take.
By order of the Governors:
l. ". PATTON. Adjutant General.
Acting under this order, Major Moore
made demand on Benjamin. the negro CAP
amin refused to comply with, and it was ru-
that Immediately after the demand on
BENJAMIN, another negro, Oscar. Crozier,
4ellofg s tax tax collector gaee Or tor Or TIE hgtI Parish ar III II La "a
cans to see Gen. Nichols about the matter.
In the meanwhile Major Moore had wired
lie. Adlutans Genera about the refusal, to
which telegram he received the following re-
'ly: t
Adjutant Generals Office,
New OfleaIs, May q, 1917
I. D. Moore, Thibodaux:
l submitted your telegram of the 9Th to
he Governor. He instructs me to suspend
ny action in relation to the collection of
"a; eri arms 3, You VII, therefore, consider
n Lsfourche belonging to the State re-
oked. Very respectfully,
I. ". PATTON.
foore. Then again on the 18th of Nav,
.S77, the following was received:
Adtutsnt densraiTS tofiee.
New Orleans, &fSy Ia, I877.)
! Crozier. Esq, Tb6bodaux:
Dear Sir--1our letter of the 1Ith instant
anne duly to hand. Major Moore had proba-
ly not received my letter when O saw him. /
shall however, write to him again.
AS soon as the organization of your com
any 1s effected YOU will report to me through ]
ing. Gen.. Radcliff. commanding the mill 6
airy district OF which Lafourehe forms a ,
ART, all the necessary papers, including the '
umbers and character of the arms in posses
ION OF your company. With reference to
re eireular to which you allude. [ can ONLY 1
iy that 1t has been misconstrued and its /
s 3eonlns dlsi0I p%eiitj fof p orEsn ParfPIoses. ut + '
Nv. PATTON. r
/. d. Moore, Thibodaux: J
Dear Sir-I wrote to you some days ago on I
re subject OF the order given in relation to :,
Lafourche. =
[ was under The impression from nv con- q
srsation with you that these arms were in 2
le hands OF private individuals who were =
5lngo them for hunting purposes, and [ 9
lerefofe gave you the order to collect them. {
subsequently it was represented to the Gov !.
nor that this wasa mistake, as they were =
the possession of an organized company of !
'litia, and acting under the Governors in L
1 wrote to yon Fevoking the order -
"a directing @ reorganization of the COM IL
my, winch, being reported to me through !,
te proper channels, I would proceed 10 COM lC
ission the officers. requiring them to renew N
lie bond for the arms. IF I had known that
ley had given bond [ should not have issued II
order which [ did. p
[ regret that you should have been put to Il
y Inconvenience or trouble unnecessarily. a
/. v, P4TroS, Aaiutant General. {
I aaSs'e ss e. e. t cans fah eoL. hf Ps. assumed "a ar such IA a a
flowing leSterti Gov. Nicholas: d
May 25, 187. Sc
} His IoI EHssllen' I. Nichols, Governor of la
G~overnor-Refe jug to the matter OF the il
ms in the hanat of a colored company in q
e parish of Laforrche. [ hive the honor TO y
AXE the following tatement: I'll
MAJOR L. ID. Moore, of Nvernor's staff, g
lied at my Office with mation that e
ere was o numhsr of as1Is III the parish OF II
sfourehe belt = to the State, in the OF
.nds of private Fduals and used by az
en- for hunting cs, and asking me- r. 81
desired to have t. : collected and held pl
bject to my order rrapliad that did So q
sire, and gave him an order to collect the II
me. m
acted in giving this order in accordance eAbi
til the law. See Act No. rs, 1870. sec al
/: THAT no arms or equipments shall he
rnlshed by the State to any companY or &C